Purple and Grey: 5
by fizzybubbles13
Summary: Tonks and Lupin break up, due to his insecurities (break up fight not included, sorry drama loving folk). Molly plays matchmaker. RLNT.


Tonks and Remus broke up, due to his insecurities. (Fight not included, sorry drama loving folk) Molly plays matchmaker to the miserable pair. RLNT.

**Disclaimer: I am J.K. Rowling. I am also lying. I make no money, though it would certainly help. I spend too much of it on Harry Potter merch *sighs wistfully* **

"Anger and love

Are her twin companions

Sometimes happy,

Sometimes enraged.

Every time,

Blowing his head off,

One way or another."

\- Unknown

(I felt like this was a very Tonks thing to say XD )

Lupin pov:

He sat tiredly in a chair in the Kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, stirring his coffee (which was a simple black coffee, so there really was no reason for him to be stirring it) absently, a book in the other hand, though he didn't even know what the title was. He was very preoccupied with his own thoughts.

Remus was jolted from said thoughts when there was a small clunk as someone sat down across from him. Inside his head, he prayed it was not Tonks; he didn't want to deal with her anger right now.

But it was Molly. "Good morning Remus." She smiled, setting a plate of steaming eggs before him.

He shook his head politely, pushing the eggs back towards her. "I'm good, but thanks, Molly."

"You're much too thin, you don't have me fooled." The motherly witch said sternly.

"I'm good Molly. Really." He sighed and pretended to 'go back' to reading. He still hadn't noticed that the book was upside down.

"When was the last time you ate a good meal?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.

"The last time you tried to feed me one, I expect." Remus replied shortly, partly hoping that she would leave.

"Actually, last time I tried to feed you a square meal was last night, and you refused it then too with the same excuse." Molly looked at him expectantly, drumming her fingers on the table. "Now really, when was it?"

"I don't know, Molly." He said miserably, running a hand through his greying hair. That was a part of it of course, his greying hair. Much too old. He thought subconsciously.

Molly seemed to be studying him. "What's wrong? You look upset." When he did not reply, she continued. "It's Tonks, isn't it?"

Remus slopped coffee down his front at that remark. Where had she gotten that idea? She was right of course, but how? "I- what? What- where… did you get…that idea?" He sputtered, furiously scrubbing at the burning hot liquid that had stained his robes with a napkin, attempting to avoid her gaze.

Molly smiled kindly. "It's the way you two look at each other."

"I… I don't know what you mean." He denied. He could feel his face begin to turn red. He was a terrible liar. He'd have to ask Sirius for some lessons on how to lie better, Remus decided.

"She's heartbroken, you know." Molly said, completely ignoring his denial. Fair enough, he thought.

He sighed. "Alright, how do you know that?"

"Tonks came to see me." Molly replied simply.

Of course, Molly was the resident sympathizer in the Wizarding World. "It wouldn't have worked." Remus said. He took a sip of his coffee. Bitter. The plate off eggs sat, cold, unnoticed beside him.

"Now that's not true." Molly said, wiping a bit of dust off from the table.

"Yes it is." He insisted.

Molly shot him a look. "She loves you."

"That may be true, but it doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything." Molly responded. It was one of those cliché answers, brought up too often.

Remus sighed again. "I'm too old for her. I have no money, either. For Merlin's sake, I'm a werewolf, Molly!"

"But she doesn't care, you know that." Molly attempted to persuade him.

"I doesn't matter that she doesn't care, I do. I care. I don't want her hurt, or worse dead! That's what could happen, I could kill her! I want her safe and away from me. Even if she's unhappy, at least she's safe." He reasoned, before taking another sip of his bitter coffee.

"So you care." Molly factually.

He blinked. "Yes of course I care."

Molly smiled. "Do you love _her_?"

Remus opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again and repeated that several times before he finally sighed yet again. "Yes." He said miserably. "Yes I do. But if Tonks were with me, it could ruin her."

Molly stood up. "I have to leave. We'll see if you change your mind." And with that, she grabbed her cloak, which had been laying overtop the wooden chair beside her, and left, careful not to wake the portrait of Mrs. Black.

_We'll see if you change your mind_? Now what exactly was that supposed to mean? He wondered, exasperated. He took a look at his coffee and dumped it down the kitchen's drain. It was too realistic, the bitterness of his coffee and his life at the moment. The last thing he needed was a reminder.

Tonks pov: (before she went to see Molly)

Tonks was sitting on her heavily blanketed bed, a box of tissues sat beside her. She was rather busy crying her eyes out. The walls around her were painted purple, her favourite colour, though they seemed less cheerful due to the recent events.

He had broken it off. He had broken it off. She couldn't believe it, she'd thought they were both happy. Apparently, he didn't love her after all.

Tonks sniffed, wiping her eyes on yet another tissue; a building pile was sitting on the floor in between her bed and her heavily cluttered desk. She was due to go to work in a few hours, it was rather early in the morning, as she hadn't been able to sleep. The sun was just beginning to rise. Tonks sniffed again before taking a deep breath. She needed to pull herself together. No, she'd never be over it, of course not, but she needed to at least be able to get through a day. She was needed at work, of course.

Alright, she thought. First plan of action? Tonks thought for a few seconds before deciding coffee would be a nice place to start.

Tonks stumbled down the stairs, trying – and almost succeeding – in not tripping, until she did on the last step. She hit the ground with a hard, yet familiar crash. Wonderful, she sighed, sitting up and rubbing her sore elbow. What a wonderful way to start off an already terrible morning.

She made it to her kitchen with no further accidents (though the tricky floorboard three rows in front of the counter almost got her) and began to make coffee. It was only when the heat of the mug it had been dispensed it began to scorch her hand did Tonks notice she had been staring at her fireplace subconsciously. It took her a minute to realise why she had been.

The Floo Network.

Without another thought, Tonks set down her coffee and crossed the cluttered – she was a bit of a slob – room to the fireplace, taking some of the green powder in her fist and throwing it down into the fire, shouting "The Burrow!". She wasn't due at work for another two hours anyway.

Tonks tried to step out of the fireplace, only to take a loud – and painful – tumble out onto the hard wooden floor of the Burrow's living room. Two orange couches sat adjacent to each other, both covered in plump pillows wearing what appeared knitted red sleeves. The rug offered no protection to the hard floor unfortunately. The room was brightly lit despite the early morning hours.

It was at that moment that Tonks realised she really should have had better timing; it was, after all, only seven in the morning and the family would surely still be sleeping. Grumbling to herself about 'stupid, stupid cursed legs, you'll be the death of me' she clambered back over to the fireplace.

"Tonks? Good Merlin, what're you doing here so early?" Asked Molly, who had just appeared in the doorway.

Tonks sighed. She hadn't wanted to disturb the family. She really should've thought her timing through. "I'm really sorry, Molly. I wanted a visit and didn't much think through the time before I Flooed over. I'll just leave, you can go back to sleep." She attempted to turn back to the fireplace, but Molly grabbed her shoulder.

"Nonsense, dear. I was already up. And you look dreadful, have you been eating? I knew I should've taught you to cook. Burnt toast does not count as a meal. You need a healthy feeding up!" Molly dragged her away from the fireplace and towards an equally brightly lit kitchen.

The chairs were mismatched, different types of china littered the table in their respective places. Interestingly coloured lights of bright greens and yellows hung from the ceiling above the table and the sink. In the furthermost corner near the stairs sat a rocking chair with knitting needles enchanted to work on their own for whatever was needed; it seemed to be knitting some sort of a bright pink jumper.

"Molly… Molly, really I'm not hungry…" Tonks tried.

"Please, don't tell me that burnt toast did you any good! I'll have you set up with a bowl of oatmeal in just a moment, dear." Molly insisted, forcing Tonks into a blue chair.

Tonks sighed and settled on staring out the window. If Molly insisted on giving her food, fine. But that didn't mean she had to eat it. The truth was is that she hadn't been eating, not since he had broken up with her the morning before. It was then it occurred to her that it was Christmas Eve.

The sodding prat! She thought angrily. He had the audacity to break up with her right before Christmas! Christmas of all things, a time of joy and happiness! She would certainly be having none of that now.

Upon remembering it was Christmas Eve, she nearly grumbled out loud. She was still expected to work on Christmas Eve too! If she wasn't allowed to have a happy Christmas, surely she should be able to have a day off!

There must have been a noticeable scowl on her face, because when Molly sat a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of her she asked, "What's wrong, Tonks?"

Tonks contemplated telling her for several moments before finally deciding she could. Molly was, after all, great at making one feel better. "It's Remus."

"Ah." Molly's normal smile grew into a grin. "I knew it! You two are together!"

Tonks groaned miserably. "Not anymore, Molly. Yesterday morning, he had this great 'noble' idea and decided to break up with me because he thought he was too old and poor and dangerous. He should know I don't care, I've told him as much!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear." Molly said sympathetically, reaching her hand out to pat Tonks's.

"It's absolutely annoying! He's so self-depreciating, it's ridiculous! He thinks his life is worth nothing! It's as though he doesn't want to be happy!" Tonks said angrily. When Molly made no response, she continued. "And why should he tell me what's best for me?! He's what I want, he's best for me! I don't care about any of the stuff he's said. He doesn't seem to understand that he's hurting me more by doing this than he ever could any other way!" Tonks jammed her spoon into the bowl of oatmeal, forcefully taking a spoonful and shoving it into her mouth to prevent another angry tirade (one that involved a load of curse words that Tonks was sure Molly would not appreciate).

There was a thoughtful silence before Tonks calmed down and spoke again.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Molly. I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm also sorry if my yelling woke Mr. Weasley or the children. I know Arthur's trying to heal." Tonks apologised. Mr. Weasley had been attacked by Nagini, Voldemort's snake a week or so before.

"I'm sure you didn't dear. They tend to sleep late over the holidays. They're all sound sleepers." Molly smiled. "But let me ask you this. Have you told Remus all that you've just said to me?"

"Yes." Tonks sighed. "And he won't listen. He's supposed to be smart, but personally I think his skull's too thick!"

"Oh you're just upset."

"I suppose so." Tonks swallowed a spoonful of oatmeal.

There was another silence. It had begun snowing outside, creating a fresh blanket of glistening white on top of the grass.

Tonks stood. "Well, I've got to get to work. Stupid boss is making us work on Christmas Eve! Why they want him for Minister of Magic next election is beyond me! Thanks for the sympathy, Molly. Though you didn't say much, it oddly helped." She gave her a small smiled.

"I find that just thinking about everything and having someone alongside you to prod along the thoughts helps much more than both of them losing their heads in a fiery rage." Molly smiled. "Have a good day at work, Tonks. Don't let Scrimeoger work you too hard, it's the holidays! And wait Remus out for a bit, he'll come along, they always do."

Tonks gave the motherly witch another smile before Flooing back home and beginning to prepare for work. Though it still weighed heavily on her, she felt slightly more optimistic.

**Note: Any errors? I know now that in my "When They Discover The Truth" fic I accidently had Snape be a teacher, which he would not have been at the time. Please put constructive**** criticism**** in the reviews, I won't be offended, I promise. I need it to be better. My first two fics were total rubbish (and no, that's not just me being hard on myself, they actually were. I am capable of complimenting myself. For example, I think my "Purple and Grey: 3" fic was rather good!)! Please review! Please! *Gives you puppy dog eyes* See, there. You can't resist that can you? : P XD **


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